Double bearing rail anticreeper



June 6, 1939- Fl A. PRESTON DOUBLE BEARING RAIL ANTCREPER Fried June 1s, 193e 2 sheets-sheet 1 In'fenr Y ff --ede/MA Pres/5R orngys June 6, 1939- A. PRESTON 2,161,434

DOUBLE BEARING RAIL ANTICREEPER Filed June '16, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 2 afb 20 cross tie tending to cant the jaws.

Patented June 6, 1939 2,101,4s4 y noma BEARING aan. aNfrr memes. Preston, un Form, m., .una a Delaware Poor &` Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation il!` Application im 1c, icas, serai No. 21am 14 claim. (ci. zas-327) This invention relates to rail anti-creeper devices adapted to clampingly grip arail and bear against a side face of a cross-tie, and more specically to devices of this type comprising a bar 5 bent to provide jaws adapted to be forced into spring clamping engagement with the base portion of a rail and having a body portion which extends substantially horizontally beneath the rail so as to press against the side face of a crosstie and thereby prevent lengthwise movement of the rail.

' Rail anti-creepers of the above type maintain their position on the rail by virtue of the resilient clamping action of the jaws, but the re- 15 silient grip is supplemented, during the presence of creeping pressure on the rail, by a canting or lever grip of the jaws on the rail, the said grip resulting from the pressure of the under-rail portion of the device against a side face of a While the said canting grip of the jaws is important, it is equally important to obtain such grip without any actual canting ,or spreading of the jaws. In order to obtain the above character of grip,

25 it has been customary heretofore to form said anti-creepes from metal bars oi rectangular cross-section having the desired horizontal width to produce a strong lever gripping action when the device is pressed against a cross-tie and be- 3 0 ing .relatively thick vertically to resist spreading -of the jaws during such lever-gripping action.

When vthe under-rali portion of the above type of anti-creeper extends horizontally beneath the rail, the tie bearing area is limited to the vertical .35 thickness of the bar stock. Such devices, therefore, are not ,entirely satisfactory for use in situations where tie plates are interposed between the railand the usual wooden cross-ties. 'In such situations, the rail and the anti-creeper 40 device applied thereto are elevated relative tothe top of the tie. This condition reduces the tie bearing area. of the anti-creeper body and consequently increases the likelihood ofthe device cutting into and thereby `damaging'the wooden cross-tie.' n

Anti-'creeper devices of the above general character,` when made of relatively thick bar stock, present a further disadvantage in that 50 top'surface of the rail, do not yield readily when `they are `struck by al derailed car wheel or by dragging rigging.

against the anchor jaws frequently result in 55 forcing the jaws of the anti-creepers through the portions'of the anchors which overlie the p These and similar -impacts the rail base ilange or otherwise distort and damage the rail base. A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved rail anti-creeper which is particularly suitable for use in situations in 5 which a tie plate is interposed between the rail and the top surface of an ordinary wooden cross-tic.k In this connection, the invention includes the provision of two vertical surfaces adapted to bear against the rail supporting structure, that is to say, one surface for bearing against the wooden cross-tie and another surface for bearing against the edge portion of a tie plate supported on the tie and thereby utilize substantially the entire` side face of the anticreeper device as an abutment surface.

Another object is to provide an improved` anticreeper device of the above` character having sumcient width whereby either side face of the device can be positioned to bear against the side face of a cross tie and abut againstj the edge of a tie plate spaced from the said side face of the tie and to provide in such device rail gripping surfaces having widths which are substanmuy less than the over-9.11 width of the bar from which the anchor is formed, whereby a re1- atively wide anchor device may be provided with rail gripping surfaces of suitable width for effecting a maximum shackle grip on the rail base when the under-rail portion of the a'nti- 30 creeper is pressed against the cross-tie against the tie plate.

A further object is to providean anti-creeper construction in which the portion overlying the base flange of the rail, may be made of suitable vertical thickness to provide the desired strength for preventing creeping movement of the rail,

' but which will function to relieve the base flange of the rail from the shearing and ,distorting strains when the anchor is struck by a derailed 40 wheel and/or other partsof a car. A

According to the present invention, the body portion of the anti-creeper is formedy with a lat' eral projection ywhich extends into the space between the rail and the cross-tie underlying the rail so as to abut against a tie plate mounted on the cross-tie. 'Ihe width of the said projection is such that when it'ls in abutting 'engagement with the tie plate, the lower portion of the anticreeperbody vwill bear against the side face of the cross-tie. By off-setting the side face of the anti-creeper body in the above manner, substantially the entire area of the side face is utilized as an abutment surface and consequently 55 5 ported on a'tie plate H. The tie plate may be secured to the top face of a wooden, cross-tie I2 A extends-vertically, as shown in Fig. 1.

resists any tendency of the anti-Creeper body to cut into the wooden cross-tie.

The cross-sectional configuration of the device maybe such that either side of the device can be arranged to bear against the cross-tie and to overlie the top face thereof so as to abut against a tie plate. Such construction involves making the anchor somewhat wider than is desirable for producing an efficient lever or canttion will be readily apparent from'the detailed,

description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view of a rail anti-creeper device constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention and applied to the base portion of a rail.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the anti-creeper struc-l ture, cross-tie and tie plate illustrated in Fig-1.-

tion of the anti-creeper jaws and showing also the manner in which the under rail portion of the anti-creeper bears against the cross-tie and the tie plate.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but illustrate a modified construction of anticreeper device.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a side view of another modified embodiment.

Referring mst to Figs. 1, 2 and a of the draw-i ings: the base portion III of a railroad rail is sup- `by means of any suitable attaching devices, for example, the cut spikesl I2 which are driven through openings I4 of the tie plate and into the cross-tie.

The said improved rail anti-creeper show n in the drawings ismade from a bar of substantially T-shape in cross-section. One end of the bar is bent'into hook form to provide upper and lower jaws I5 and I6 which grip the top and bottom surfaces of the rail base at one side of the rail with resilient pressure. Preferably the hook end is formed to provide an abutment surface I1 for engaging the edge I8- of the rail base to limit the applying movement of the device. 'I'he said abutment surface preferably, though not necessarily, The said jaw end of the device is also formed to provide clearance spaces I 9 and 20 above and below the said flange, respectively. The body portion 2I of the device extends horizontally across beneath the rail base and is formed with a shoulder 22 which engages the lower corner portion of the rail base at the other side of the rail'to lock the anchor in its applied position. The shoulder 22 is heldin its locking position by the resilient pressure exerted by the jaw I5 on the top surface of the rail base. The lateral arms 23'23a of the T-shaped body are of such width and thickness that either of the arms is adapted to extend into Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3 3 of l Fig. 1 illustrating the cross-sectional conflgura.

the spacebetween the rail base I0 and the top of the cross-tie I2 so as to bear against the edge portion 24 of the tie plate II. The said arms 23-23a are preferably of different widths so as rto insure engagement with the said edge portion 24 of the tie plate when the said edge is spaced inwardly from the side of the tie plate at different distances or when the said tie plate may be of different width relative to the width of the cross-tie. When a lateral arm 23 or 23a of the anti-creeper body is in engagement with the tie plate, avertical web 25 of the T-shaped body bears against the side face of the cross tie I2. The pressure incident to the longitudinal movement of the rail is, therefore, distributed between the side face of the wooden cross tie and the edge surface 24 of the tie plate. The said pressure which is transmitted to the tieplate is in turn transmitted to the underlying cross-tie through the spikes I3 or such other tie plate fastening means as may be employed. In order to provide the device with rail gripping surfaces of suitable width for exerting an efficient lever grip on the rail base, for example, at the points A and B, when the lower portion of the anti-Creeper device is pressed against the cross-tie, the rail gripping faces of the device are formed of less width than the width of the bar. 'Ihis is accomplished, preferably, by recessing the upper faces of the cross arms i 22-22a, as indicated at C and D in the drawings,

and thereby confine the effective width E of said rail gripping surfaces of the upper and lower jaws I5 and I6 to any desired dimension. In some situations it is desirable to also reduce the frictional area of the rail gripping portion of the anchor. This result is accomplished by recessing the rail gripping portions of the device, as indicated at F. The said web 25 serves both as a tie abutting member and a rigidifying means for the hook shaped end of the anti-Creeper and may be made of any suitable height to provide a desired tie bearing effect and to provide the desired strength at the hook end of the device to prevent spreading of the rail gripping jaws thereof during the lever gripping action of the device when the body portion is pressed against the cross tie and the tie plate.

The thickness of the vertical web portion 25 is preferably such that, when the device is moderately tempered, as. contemplated, the said web will be readily crushed or bent in the event that it is struck by a derailed car wheel or by dragging rigging of the car. 'I'he bending and crushing'of the said web, together with the downward bending of the upper jaw at the clearance space I9 serves to cushion the impact of a derailed wheel thereon and thereby prevent such impact from punching the anti-creeper jaw through the base flange of the rail.

'I'he anti-Creeper device may be applied to its operative position on the rail by loosely fitting the hook end of the device overone flange of a rail base in a position whereby one or th'e other of the said arms 23-23a will project into the `space between the rail and the cross tie so as to engage the surfae 24 of the tie plate and whereby the web 2 5 of the body will bear throughout the length of the body against the side face of the cross tie. Ihe upper and'lower jaws may be forced into desired gripping engagement with the rail base by driving the device bodily transversely of the rail until the locking shoulder 22 snaps up over the edge of the rail base. When the anchor is applied in this manner the resilient gripping pressure of the hook end maintains the anchor on the rai1.and also aids in resisting lengthwise movement of the rail.' 'I'he said resilient pressure is supplemented during the presence of creeping pressure on the rail by the lever gripping action exerted at points A and B when the under rail portion of the anti-creeper device is pressed against -the side face of the adjacent cross-tie.

The y,anti-creeper device shown in Figs. 4, 5 and V 6 of the drawings is of the same type as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but is made from a bar of different cross section. The cross-sectional shape of the bar may be briefly described as comprising dat faces 21 and 28 which extend substantially perpendicular to each other, a curved outer surface 29 which extends from one of said flat faces to the other, and a lateral flange 30 which projects outwardly from the plane of the flat face 2B and has oneside face extending in theplane of the face 21. The flange 30 is preferably offset relative to the surface sov that the width of the said rail gripping surface will be less than the full width of the'bar.'

The said bar is bent at one end into hook form to provide upper and lower jaws designated I5a IGa and so that the face 21 of the bar will constitute the rail gripping surfaces of the anti-creeper device. The under-railportion 2 la of the anchor, like that of the corresponding portion of the previous embodiment, extends horizontally across beneath the base vflange Illa and is provided wit a locking shoulder 22a.

'Ihe modified device is applied to the rail base in the same manner as described in connection with the previous embodiment. When the anchor is in its applied position, the flange 3|! extends into the space between the rail base Ilia and the wooden cross tie 12a so as to 'bear against the vertical edge face 21a of the tie plate, and the vertical face 28 of the bar bears against the side face of the cross tie. 'I'he offset faces dened by the outer edge -of the flange 30 and the vertical surface 28 give .the anti-creeper device abutment surfaces corresponding substantially to the entire area of the one side face of the body portion of the device and will satisfactorily transmit the creeping pressures of the rail to the cross-tie and tie plate without danger of the body portion of the anti-creeper being pressed into the side face of the wooden cross-tie.

The outer face 29 of the upper jaw 15a, being curved preferably in the direction of the movement of the traillc,l functions to deflect any dislocated part of a car rigging which may be dragging along the rail. 'I'he said face 29 of the upper jaw also reduces the effective height of the jaw at the side which would be most likely to receive the initial impact of a derailed car wheel. The said reduced height of the jaw, together with the defiecting action of the curved surface thereof and the downward flexing of the jaw at the spa-ce Isa serves to cushion and deflect such impact and thereby avoid notching or otherwise damaging the rail base flange.

The anti-Creeper device shown in Fig. 'I is formed togrip the top and bottom surfaces of a rail base at one side only of the rail. `It is preferably, made from a metal lbarhaving the same cross-sectional 'configuration as illustrated 1in Figs. 1, 2v and '3; so that the under railA portion of the device will bear against the rail supporty ing structure and the--vertical flange 25h will function in the same manneras described in con-y 'The upper and nection withA that embodiment. lower jaws lib-|61 of the present modification 'extend horizontally beneath the rail base; the

grip the top and bottom surfaces ofone base flange of the rail base Ilib with sumcient force to maintain the device on the rail. The lower jaw lib extends horizontally beneath the rail base a distance sufficient to provide a suitable rail tion formed to extend beneath the rail base; the i said body being formed with a portion for abutting engagement with the side face of an adjacent cross-tie and a portion for engagement with a tie plate supported on said cross-tie; and the said jaws being formed with rail gripping-portions, the

effective widths of which for exerting a lever grip on the top and bottom surfaces of the rail base are less than the width of the said body.

2. A rail anti-creeper comprising a member provided with upper and lower jaws for gripping the base ange of a rail and having a body portion formed to extend beneath the rail base; the said body being formed'- with a portion for abutting engagement with a side face of an adjacent crosst'e and a portion adapted to overlie the'top fa'ce of the cross-tie and abut against a tie plate supported on said cross-tie and the said jaws and body portions being provided with rail gripping surfaces, the effective widths of which for exerting a cantlng grip on the rail base are less than the width of the anti-creeper.

3. A rail anti-creeper comprising a member provided with means for ygripping the base flange y of a rail and having a body portion formed'to extend horizontally beneath the rail base; the said body being 'formed with a portion for abutting ,engagement with a side face of an adjacent crosstie and a portion for engagement with a tie plate supported on said cross-tie and the said gripping means being formed with rail gripping surfaces having effective widths for exerting a lever grip on the rail base which are less than the width of said body. v y y 4. A rail anti-creeper comprising a member provided with means for gripping one base flange of a rail and having a body portion formed to said body being formed with a portion for abutting engagement with a side face of an adjacent cross-tie and a portion adapted to overlie the top face ofthe cross-tie and abut against a tie plate supported on said cross-tie and the said bar having a recess valong one marginal surface thereof to restrict the width of the rail gripping surfaces of the bar.

` 5. A rail anti-Creeper comprising a member provided with means for gripping the base flange of a rail and having ra body portion formed to extend beneath the rail base; the said body being formed on each side face with a portion for abutting engagement with a side face-of an adjacent cross-tie and a portion'adapted to overlie the top face of the cross-tieand abut against a tie plate supported thereon, whereby the pressure incident to longitudinal movement of the rail is distributed between the side face of the cross-tie and an edge portion of the tie plate; and the said r'ail gripping means having effective widths for exerting a lever grip on the rail which are less than the fullwidth of the under-rail body po-rtion of the bar.

- across beneath the rail base and provided at its base flange of the raiL-a substantlallyjstraigh vtive to the width of the bar.-

6. A rail anti-Creeper comprising a bar bent at one end into hook form to provide a jaw for gripping one base flange of a rail and having a substantially straight body portion for extending against an edge portion of a tie plate interposed between the rail and the tie, a locking shoulder at the end of the body remote from the hook for vice on the rail, and a reinforcing rib of greater height than the effective rail grippingwidth of the bar extending lengthwise of said body and said jaw adapted to bear against the side face of said cross-tie, whereby the pressure incident to creeping movements of the rail are transmitted to the side face of the cross-tie and to th said tie plate.

11. A rail anti-creeper comprising a. metal bar bent at one end into hook form .to providea jaw end with means for locking engagement with the other base flange; a side face of said body being formed with vertical surfaces oifset with relation to each other and having a combined vertical height greater than' the effective width of the rail gripping surface of the bar extending the full length of said body, one of said surfaces being adapted to bear against a side face of a crosstie and the other of said surfaces being adapted to abut'against a vertical edge portion of a tie plate positioned on the cross-tie and spaced inwardly from the said side face thereof.

7. A rail anti-creeper comprising a bar bent at one end into hook form to provide a jaw for gripping one base flange of a rail and having a substantially straight body portion for extending across beneath the rail base and provided at its end with means for locking engagement with the other base iiange; the side faces of said body being formed with vertical surfaces offset with relation to each other to .provide horizontal flanges of different widths and extending thewfull length of the body, whereby either side of the body may be positioned to bear against a side face of a cross tie and against a. tie plate supported thereon.

8. A rail anti-creeper comprising a metal bar substantially T-shaped in cross section and bent at one end into hook form to provide jaw portions for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of one base ange of the rail, a substantiallyl straight body portion for extending across beneath the rail base, and means at the end of the body remote from the hook for engaging the other base ange to lock the device op the rail; the said bar being so proportioned and being bent so that the stem portion of its T-'shaped cross-section provides a tie abutting face of greater height than the effectiverail gripping width of the bar and whereby the laterally projecting arms of the T-bar are adapted to overlie the top surface of said cross-tie and abut against a tie plate interposedbetween the rail and` said T16- dentto creeping movements of the rail are trans- 9 A rail flflti-Clpeil'`GOIlpliSiIlggBflmetal bal' mitted :tol the `side face ofthe cross-tie and to Substantially `TShapdiin CI'OSS SectiOnalldibent ;thesaidgzie plate and whereby the portion of the at 0n@ end into hOOk fil'lllv t0 Provide .iWPQIOnS rib-Qd jawfrgoverlying the rail base and in the for gripping the. top-and bottom liSuliCQS. Ofne iderailed car'wheel win bend and thererail base flange, a body portion for extending horizontally across beneath therail and adapted to project over the top of a cross tie andabut against an'edge face of a tie plate interposed between the rail and the' tie,'a locking shoulder at the end of the body remote from the hook for engaging an edge of the rail base to lock the device `on the rail, and a relatively thin reinforcin-g rib of greater height than the effective rail gripping width of the barextending lengthwise of said body and said jaw adapted to bear against 'the side face of said cross-tie, whereby the pressures incident to creeping movements of the rail are transmitted to the side face of the cross tie and to the said tie plate and whereby a portion of the rib on the said jaw overlying the raill base and thereby cushion the impact of the wheel against said jaw for the purpose described.

12. A rail anti-Creeper comprising a metal bar bent at one end into hook form to provide a jaw adapted to overlie and grip the-top surface of a rail base flange, a body' portion for extending horizontally across beneath the' rail and` adapted to project over the top of a cross-tie and abut against an edge face of a tie plate interposed between the rail and the tie, a locking shoulder at the e'nd of the body remote from the hook for engagingan edge of the rail base to lock the device on the rail and a relatively wide but thin reinforcing rib extending lengthwise of said body andzsaid" jaw adapted to bear against the side faoecofsaid cross-ftie, whereby the pressures incijawithefsaid jawbeingformed also to provide substantialiclearance above theA marginal portion of thej rail/base flange, whereby downward bending ofl-theff-jaw-.when struck by a derailed wheel supplementsfthecushioning effect of said rib.'

A"13.1'A:railanti-creeper comprising a bar bent body portion for extending acrossz beneathjthe rail base, and means atthe.er1;l{.' l ?the-.bodyrea-wf.;Y mote from thehookjfor engaging :the-other-basewflange of the. rail tolock'thedevice on the rail :y the said bar lb'elng bent` S0 -thatj either side --ofz-f the stem portion of' itsr'rashaped-;.cross section Si? oitft"thif. aan? end me hook .form e wide a er for laterally projecting arms of said.T.-bar are adapt;v gnppmg onebis flange of 9' f an and hau/mig a ed to extend between the vportionfofethefesill'stnfi3113 Stfalght body Pomon for' extendmg mii and said ross-tie so as to abut against aneiwross beneath the rail' base and formed at 'its plate positioned on the tie and themargmal por.'VA end with meansfor locking engagement with tions of the saidlateral armsbeing-oif'set toire-,Q- hegQther .base flange; 0n@ Side face 0f Said bal' duce the width of the rail-bearing surfaces rela- .being formed' with a lateral rib offset in relation to the rail gripping surfaces of the bar and providinga-portion adapted to overlie the top sur- 10. A rail anti-creeper comprising a metalbar bent at one end into hook form to provide' a -jfaw adapted to overlie and grip the top surfacebfr a rail base ange, a body portion for extending horizontally lacross beneath the rail and adapted uto project over the top of a cross tie and' abul plateT positioned on the tie,r and another side f-'thebar' being inclined to provide said jaw with a combined ramp and deecting surface, there ing' clearance between the jaw and the upper adapted to overlie and grip the top surface of a and in the path of a derailed car wheel will bend shi'on thefimpact of `the wheel against said -.faceiof""fthe cross tiegand abut againstv a tie engaging an edge of the rail base to lock the desurface of the rail base ange whereby the ramp `the said lower jaw portion being formed with a provides for movement of a derailed wheel over the jaw and the downward bending ofthe jaw serves to cushion the impact of the derailed wheel.

14. A rail anti-creeper comprising a metal bar beni: intermediate its ends to provide a jaw for gripping the top surface of a rail base flange and to provide a lower jaw which extends horizontally 1o beneath the rail for a portion of its width only;

portion for abutting engagement with a side face of ari-adjacent cross-tie and a portion adapted to overlie the top face .of the cross-tie and bear against a tie plate supported on said cross-tie, the said overlying portion of the bar being on'set relative to the rail gripping face thereof, whereby the span of said gripping face is of less width than the bar. v

FREDERICK A. PRESTON. 

